New metric shows renewables are 53% cheaper than nuclear power

[Caribbeans]

New metric shows renewables are 53% cheaper than nuclear power

A new metric for assessing total system costs puts a least-cost mix of offshore wind and solar at about €46 ($54.20)/MWh in a future climate-neutral energy system for Denmark. Researchers tell pv magazine that figure is less than half the equivalent cost of nuclear under the same conditions.

April 17, 2026 | Brian Publicover

A peer-reviewed study using Denmark as a case study has found that renewable energy portfolios outperform nuclear power on total system cost in the modeled future integrated Danish energy system, once the expenses of grid balancing, storage, and sector coupling are included in the comparison.

The “SLCOE – system-based LCOE for comparing energy technologies in different systems” study, recently published in Energy and led by Henrik Lund of Aalborg University, introduces system-based levelized cost of energy (SLCOE) as an alternative to the standard LCOE metric. LCOE only measures the cost of producing a unit of electricity from a given technology, but SLCOE adds the cost of integrating that technology into the wider energy system. The co-author list includes 10 other researchers.

“While the LCOE is a function of the technology itself, the SLCOE is a function of both the technology and the energy system context in which it operates,” the paper states.

Co-author Christian Breyer, a professor of solar economy at LUT University in Finland, told pv magazine that the metric addresses a fundamental gap. “If one only optimizes within the electricity sector, one will not be able to identify these much better solutions,” said Breyer...more
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/17/new-metric-shows-renewables-are-53-cheaper-than-nuclear-power/

A zealot is an immoderate, fanatical, or extremely zealous adherent to a cause, esp a religious one
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/zealot

[usonian]

1. Not to mention time to, and ease of, deployment.

So much easier when there's low danger to deal with.

Nasty-ass targets for enemies, even with conventional weapons. Saves them the trouble of using nukes!!!

Now, THAT is scary shit.

Russia, the US and Israel just put that on a billboard.

In Times Square.

[stopdiggin]

2. a conventional weapons strike on a nuclear facility is NOTHING like

the detonation of an actual nuclear weapon. And - - the suggestion rather amply illustrates the difficulty (futility?) of attempting to hold discussion .....

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[usonian]

3. Who said it was? Just contamination for many miles for a very long time.

With a dumb-ass weapon amplified by the nuke plant.

And it 's all just "good old conventional warfare"

You want to demolish my solar panels?

BRING IT

[stopdiggin]

5. and now - the equation becomes - "something, something - solar panels!" - ?

Which, again - kind of serves to illustrate ...

Your 'solar panels' are quite safe from me, pal. (and just about everyone else on the face of the earth - far as I can tell)
On the other hand - waiting in breathless anticipation for the day when Mexico City, Beijing, NYC, etc., are powered exclusively (or even substantively) by panels ... That'll be a treat!

" - A zealot is an immoderate, fanatical, or extremely zealous adherent to a cause, esp a religious one ... "

Indeed! And on that point - we couldn't agree more! While (and again) its inclusion in original OP rather serves as illustration ...

You have a good one friend. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[thought crime]

6. The equation is P2X: Solar + Wind 2 Direct Electricity + Hydrogen

Super abundant solar and wind energy are proving to be economical sources of energy at industrial scale. Some really remarkable people known as "Engineers" are finding ways to integrate the intermittent energy into reliable grids. The amount of innovation in this industry rivals that of electrical engineering with respect to communication and computer networks. The industry is getting help from some other people known as "Economists" who are showing how to drive this industry using market principles. China is quietly developing a Hydrogen Economy that can extend the transition to renewables further into transportation, with the goal of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen produced by clean/renewable energy.

You don't have to wait in breathless anticipation to appreciate the transition to renewable energy already taking place in China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, etc. and, just as importantly, in less rich countries. Mexico is expanding its renewable energy sector, driven by high solar and wind potential. And we can celebrate the closing of the last remaining coal plant in Hawaii, which has a plan for full transition to renewable energy.

You don't have to be a zealot to appreciate the practical advantages of renewable energy; it's the "Mom's Apple Pie" of energy development embraced by almost everyone. The zealots and tech-bigots are those who think there is some kind zero-sum game between renewable energy and nuclear energy. The target is fossil fuel. Keep your eyes on the target.

[stopdiggin]

7. "- think there is some kind zero-sum game between renewable energy and nuclear energy .."

And yet - that is precisely the way this argument goes - time, after time, after ....

Nuclear BAD! (no matter how often, or completely, the case is made in clear and rational terms) - - renewable (mostly wind/solar) GOOD! ...... (and coming to save us - any day now)

Meanwhile - the world (collectively, and in real terms) meets its burgeoning energy needs through .... Oopsie! Guess who?

[thought crime]

8. I see way too much "renewable BAD" on this forum.

I don't much favor exclusive use of fission reactors because I don't have a lot of faith in the safe management of vastly increased amounts of radioactive materials, among other things. But I don't argue for the complete elimination of nuclear or the exclusive use of renewable energy. The idea that nuclear energy is the only viable means of eliminating fossil fuels is pure zealotry on top of tech-bigotry.

[stopdiggin]

9. how about "the only viable means" CURRENTLY (and probably in any conceivable practical sense, potentially?) available?

Like I said no one (or no one that I'm aware of) is saying that you cannot or should not invest in renewables. Feel free to do so to your hearts content! What I will contest - in strongest possible terms - is the assertion(s) that nuclear has no viable position in meeting burgeoning energy requirements going forward. (mostly rendered in terms of - the boogieman is lurking just around the corner, waiting to pounce. despite the comparative record that speaks quite differently .. ) That is both zealotry - and erroneous. Full stop.

When 'renewables' start coming anywhere near close to MEETING the needs of the world .... (something currently not on the table, in any reality based sense.) We can then have a different conversation - involving different metrics, and realities.

And in the meantime - we have allowed the greenies to saddle the world with the enormous harm caused by the brain-dead sociopolitical movement away from nuclear over the past 50 years - and into an increased reliance on fossil fuel. That metric is absolutely indisputable - and represents an almost indefensible self harm, bordering on crime against humanity.

Peace. Out.

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[thought crime]

10. Are you keeping up with the latest saturation propaganda?

Last edited Mon Apr 20, 2026, 12:48 AM - Edit history (1)

There is a concerted online effort to portray renewable energy as nothing more than an attack on nuclear energy and actually claiming that nuclear energy is the one and only viable clean energy source. These folks are known as "nuke-bros" and you can read a bunch of examples of this tech-bigotry right here in River City (DU Environment & Energy forum), mostly from one bitter, self-identified "scientist".

No, it's not to be taken seriously but it's kind of annoying. It is also very easy to refute such arguments because they are so extreme and fly in the face of reality.

[stopdiggin]

11. that is not my gig - nor do I feel responsible for defending ....

I will say however (and this is completely in keeping with MY stance on the subject, as opposed to someone else's) - that the rather mindless anti-nuke bugaboo (after the years of demonstrated harm!) - is getting extremely old, and harder to tolerate, as well.

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